We didn’t get hit with the snow as bad as the east coast did – as a matter of fact, we’ve had very little cold and snow this winter. It’s been more like early spring all season for us. So weird!! We finally got a few inches of snow and ice this week and it’s cold enough for me to pull out some of my favorite cold weather gear. I have a small collection of vintage hats that I keep adding to every year that I will be offering in the shop soon. These fur hats are SO stinking cute!

I NEVER think the weather is too cold for a dress or a skirt. I’m the queen of layering. It’s actually far warmer than jeans once I get my fleece lined tights, thigh high wool stockings, dress, and cardigans all piled on! However, from time to time I still like to throw on some slacks on a cold day for coziness sake. I wanted to share this outfit to show how you can incorporate pieces from the 40’s and 50’s for a cute, casual look!

These are slacks from the 1940’s that, frankly, looked unappealing on a hanger. I’ve been on the lookout for some vintage slacks to style Katharine Hepburn style. I absolutely adore Katharine’s style but I don’t have the right body type to really emulate her. She was tall and lanky and looked amazing in slacks. I’m…not tall and lanky haha. I’m the complete opposite. I do still like the style though, it’s just a matter of finding items that work with my body type as well.

She was a fierce style maven!

A Katharine Hepburn inspired outfit can be a great choice if you have to wear business or business casual clothing to work. It can also be a cute date night outfit! Pair a button down blouse with a pair of high waisted slacks. You can wear loafers or slip on shoes, you don’t have to wear with heels as I did. Don’t have a tie neck or pussy bow blouse? Tie a ribbon around your neck! Super chic, easy to wear, and a great way to wear vintage on a daily basis!

I paired the slack and tie neck blouse with a dress coat that is from the early ’50’s and it was a pretty functional, lovely winter ensemble in my opinion.

I have a confession to make: sometimes I like to bake bread merely for the way it makes the house smell. Shameful, I know. Sure, we all eat the bread and it’s delicious and worth it. I don’t tell anyone I’m making it for the smell alone. It’s our secret, don’t tell, okay?

I thought I’d share a few pictures of the mega adorable Jen in the Lemon Sorbet Dress that is available in the shop now, plus a bread recipe! It’s a double whammy post.

How ADORABLE is she in that dress? Jen was sweet enough to come over and teach me how to bake bread a few weeks ago. She ran the kitchen for many years at one of the most popular baked goods and coffee stops in our area, and you better believe I pounced on the opportunity to learn to bake from her!

She taught me a pretty easy No Knead Beer Bread Recipe that was delicious!! This is not that recipe because I misplaced it. This one isn’t bad either, though. I like how easy it was to make.

Directions
1. Stir together yeast, 1/2 cup flour and warm water in a large bowl. Cover and let sit in a warm spot for about 30 minutes.
2. Stir beer, remaining flour and salt into the bowl. Mix until all the flour is incorporated and forms a thick sticky dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 2 hours, until doubled in size.
3. Scrape all the dough from the bowl with a rubber spatula, and place on a well-floured surface. Generously flour the top of the dough and form into a loaf shape.
4. Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal. Transfer loaf to the baking sheet and sprinkle the top with flour. Cover loosely with a towel and let rise for 30-40 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
6. Place a small loaf pan of warm water on a lower rack to humidify the oven.
7. Slash a long slit in the top of the loaf with a sharp knife or razor. Place the baking sheet on the rack above the pan of warm water in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown.
8. Transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.

The 1970’s have such good, down-to-earth vibe that pretty much anyone can pull it off. There’s no need to go full blown hippie either – a dress in a floaty material, a wide brimmed hat, or an accessory with some fringe can add a little boho touch without going overboard.

This fantastic semi-sheer floral full length Flower Child dress is available in the shop right now and it’s giving us all the feels!!

Some suggestions for adding 70’s to your wardrobe:

Crochet pieces – a cute crochet tank top or sweater is a nice touch.

Plunging neckline

Suede suede suede – boots, coat, or dresses

Mini-skirts – show off them legs, baby

Layers and layers of patterns

Chunky, funky accessories

The 70’s were all about freedom of movement, owning your sexuality, and having fun!

I have long been obsessed with Teddy Girl style. Teddy Girls emerged in the 1950’s as girl “gangs” in England. For the first time, teenagers were developing their own sense of style instead of dressing like miniature adults. Teddy boys and girls were a mix of punk, prep, and victorian with a twist. The best part about their style was how effortless it was – the women took menswear pieces and added them to feminine items in their wardrobe to produce a completely unique aesthetic.

Teddy Girl style is a great way to adopt a retro look without having to shop for a whole new wardrobe!

How to get the Teddy Girl look

Blouses. You can get this style with any kind of blouse really – button down or plain. BUT you don’t want too much pattern going on. You’ll notice that most of their tops are very simple and sans pattern.

Men’s or boy’s crewneck sweater. You don’t want it to be too baggy, so a boy’s size sweater is usually a good fit.

Blazers. Teddy girl style is ALL ABOUT the blazers and jackets. A blazer in any cut or style will work, but look for men’s, boy’s, or menswear inspired if you want to stay authentic. You want the blazer to be a little longer.

Jeans, cuffed up several times. “Boyfriend” cut jeans are perfect for this.

Plain flats or loafers. Again, menswear inspired is great for this.

Teddy Girl style is ALL about the accessories. A ribbon tied under your collar with a broach at your throat is a great touch. Even better, knot a scarf at your throat!

Add other menswear accessories such as suspenders or a newsboy cap.

So, I put together my own version of a Teddy Girl look to show you how easy it can be. The best and easiest day-to-day wear version is just a pair of high waisted jeans, a vintage blouse, suspenders, a scarf, and a blazer over it.

As you can see, I kept it pretty simple: loafers, blazer, cuffed pants, vintage blouse. I don’t think this is a look that would be hard to wear for people new to wearing vintage.

An alternative to cuffed jeans would be 1930’s newsboy style pants, shown below. You definitely want to wear suspenders with this style of pants. Not everyone feels comfortable wearing suspenders and that’s okay. Just stick to jeans if that’s that case.

You really can have a lot of fun with this look. Try ties, bowties, cardigans, different types of trousers, loafers, slippers. It really is a versatile look to copy and so much more forgiving than a pinup style.

Teddy Girl Style Hair and Makeup

Keep it simple with your makeup. A little eyeliner and mascara and red lipstick. I will say that red lipstick was the look du jour in the 1950’s. I opted for a color called “True Red” by Loreal. You can wear a darker red or one with purple undertones. Pick a color that works with your skin tone but stick with a red in one shade or another. I wouldn’t wear red lipstick for YEARS because I didn’t think it looked good on me. It’s all about finding the right shade.

Teddy Girl hair was messy and fucking gorgeous. I love the curls and messy buns worn by the women in that era. I did a sort of reverse pompadour with my hair. I’ve mentioned before that I’m lazy lazy lazy about my hair, so for me to do a style it has to be easy and quick. AND NO teasing. I just won’t tease my hair. I skip that part of any hair instructions. I started by checking out a few hair tutorials and this was the easiest and best one that I found: a great tutorial on how to get teddy girl hair. I didn’t follow instructions completely because, well I never do. I simply flipped my hair upside down, gathered it, and twisted it up so that the ends were on the top of my head. I stuck some bobby pins in randomly. When it was sorta secure (I wanted it messy so I left it pretty loose), I curled just the ends of the hair that was at the top of my head and my bangs. Most tutorials don’t even touch on what to do with bangs, so I’m assuming they weren’t common for that style. I just threw a few hot curlers in my bangs while I was doing my makeup and then brushed them to the side. A little bit of hairspray and I was done. Seriously, super easy. Anyone can achieve this look.

As you can see, loose and messy are what I went for. It was pretty lopsided and falling out everywhere. Perfect. See, you too can do Teddy girl hair!

Ready to try Teddy girl style? Check out the shop for great vintage items for emulating this look!

It’s hard to find the exact size that you are looking for when purchasing vintage. Vintage sizing was extremely different from modern sizing. There’s also the fact that many vintage items listed are the only ones that you will find of that style! You don’t often find a vintage vendor who has a dress in small, medium, and large available. With antique and retro clothing, you work with what you can find.

The Nun Better Dress was an exciting find because the cut is SO versatile. This dress is too adorable for words. I’ll try to put it into words any how.

On the hangar, this dress might appear shapeless and frumpy. It is not, I assure you.

Meg and I styled it with a wide red belt and that alone changed the shape and appearance of this sweet little frock.

Cute, right? I thought so too!

We headed south for this photoshoot. Our original goal was the tiny town square in Anna-Jonesboro, Illinois. I liked the shape of this olive green building and the retro light fixture above the entry. Isn’t it great? Little details like that grab my heart every time. Around the corner of this house was a barn style garage in the same muted olive green. It only took a moment to realize that I had Meg posing in front of a crematorium. A little morbid, but still worth the shot!

This dress is truly a perfect piece and an exciting find for a purveyor of vintage goods such as I. It’s a larger size which is sometimes hard to find, adorable with great details like double chiffon cuffs and a pussy bow on the front, and it can be styled to fit women of different sizes. So happy to be able to offer this item on the Geek-Betty Vintage Etsy Shop. This is a great example of how you can easily change the shape and style of a dress by simply adding a belt.
Vintage 1960’s dress, black with white collar and sleeves. Double chiffon collar and cuffs. Pussy bow at the collar. Snap in bib. Elbow length sleeves. Semi-sheer dress (shown with a slip under it). Falls below the knees. This is a LOVELY item in great condition, with a few smudges on collar. Additional info and photos available upon request.

Red Letter Day Belt available in etsy shop. Vintage 1990’s wide red belt. A great accessory to punch up any look. Pleather-like curved buckle, silver rivets, very stretchy and adjustable. Shown on model, measurements: 36-29-36, fit on the 3rd adjustable hole. Measurements: length: 38.5″ from end of buckle to other end, stretches to about 55″ (very flexible). Price: $8.99.

My collection of antique cameras are up for grab as well! Snip Snap Vintage Polaroid Camera on Etsy. This is an antique 1960’s Polaroid Land Camera Swinger Model 20. This is a rare model that was only produced for a few years in the 60’s-70’s.
This item has been used as a home decor item since I’ve had it. I’m unsure as to whether it works. It appears to function okay, however I am not an expert on cameras and have never used it.
This listing is for decorative purposes. It MAY work, but I am making no claims.

My friend, Megan, has been sweet enough to model vintage items for me on a few separate occasions. This was my favorite photoshoot that we have done to date. Meg is extremely patient with my amateur attempts at photography and instructions.

A photoshoot with me sounds something like this:

“Could you like turn this way a little but no more that way….uh no do what you were doing before. Shit, the camera wasn’t on. Could you pretend I said something really funny? I mean, I could make up a joke or something. Did you hear the one about the dog that wanted to be president? Oh. Well, I don’t know it anyway. Pretend to laugh. Har har. Uh. No look serious. Yeah that’s better.”

Bless Meg’s sweet heart for putting up with me!

This is a vintage evening gown that I bought many moons ago and wore to a schmancy New Years Eve party and then never found a reason to wear it again. This dress doesn’t look like much on the hangar but OWEEE does it hang just so on a woman’s body. It is elegant and slinky looking, even if you don’t have an “elegant and slinky” type of figure. Trust me, I’m more of a short and round body type and it looked good on me as well! I loved this dress BEFORE I ever asked Meg to wear it on a chilly afternoon on a street corner downtown. We got a few funny looks but I think it was well worth it. Doesn’t she look lovely in this dress?

The dress doesn’t have a belt with it, but it does have belt loops. On our way out the door to the shoot, I snagged a silk tie from my boyfriend and tied it around her waist. Not a typical look and maybe this isn’t something everyone would wear. I like how it looks, don’t you?

My hometown has some great old brick buildings scattered here and there. The building shown in the background of this photo is the Town Square market, just around the corner from our fabulous coffee shop Longbranch Cafe and Bakery. Longbranch has evolved since it’s early days, when I used to show up to open mic nights and read my crappy teen angsty poetry to a few bored people chugging coffee and ignoring me. Oh, Longbranch, how I loved my afternoons in your dark backroom, poring over the free library and gossiping with my friends. It has now become a bright, cheerful, adorable cafe. One of my favorite places to grab coffee to this day!

The Heart of Gold Dress is perfect for the upcoming holidays. This dress will instantly make you feel glamorous.

Vintage 1970’s Heart of Gold Evening Gown. Semi-sheer (needs a slip under it), glittery gold and cream interwoven together. This dress positively melds itself to your body and has great flow and twirl to it. The skirt loves to be lifted and twirl in the wind. Sleeveless with cowl neckline. Has belt loops but no belt. Shown with a silk tie used as a belt. Full length gown.

“The heath this night must be my bed,
The bracken curtain for my head,
My lullaby the warder’s tread,
Far, far from love and thee, Mary
To-morrow eve, more stilly laid,
My couch may be my bloody plaid,
My vesper song, thy wail, sweet maid!
It will not waken me, Mary!
I may not, dare not, fancy now
The grief that clouds thy lovely brow;
I dare not think upon thy vow,
And all it promised me, Mary.
No fond regret must Norman know;
When bursts Clan Alpine on the foe,
His heart must be like bended bow,
His foot like arrow free, Mary.
A time will come with feeling fraught!
For, if I fall in battle fought,
Thy hapless lover’s dying thought
Shall be a thought on thee, Mary
And if returned from conquered foes,
How blithely will the evening close,
How sweet the linnet sing repose
To my young bride and me, Mary.”

from “The Lady Of the Lake” by Sir Walter Scott

It’s cozy sweater season! These long rainy, cold afternoons demand that you wrap yourself in your favorite knit sweater and curl up with a book or a favorite T.V. show for the afternoon.

One of my favorite things to do when I’m preparing a vintage item to sell is styling the item. Sometimes, I style it in my mind and I don’t go as far as putting together an entire outfit around an item. Sometimes, though, I can’t resist putting an outfit together. There are so many great combinations that you can come up with from one item!

The Honey Bee True Dress was an item that I couldn’t resist styling. On the hanger it looked a little baggy and frumpy. I’m a HUGE fan of floral and patterns. Huge. More signs that I’m a grandma at heart. When I saw this dress, I immediately envisioned a Pretty Woman style get together. Pretty woman, post Rodeo Drive that is.

Maybe I wanted an excuse to wear a big brimmed hat. Regardless, I like how it all came together.

I live in the Midwest, right dead center in the heart of it, in a small town in Southern Illinois. I have friends that have moved to other countries and big cities and states that are far more popular to live in. The area that I live in is as far south from Chicago as you can possibly get and still be in the same state. It’s economically depressed. It’s a place that people talk about “getting away from”.

I’m not one of those people. I am in love with and will always be in love with the beauty of the area. Illinois is a plains state, however the area that I live in butts up against Missouri and is rife with state parks, forests, lakes, ravines, swampy areas, and cliffs. We live in the most beautiful part of Illinois, in my opinion. We have extreme weather in winter (cold as a witch’s teet) and summer (burn yer feet off heat) and the most gorgeous springs and autumns that you could possibly imagine.

Part of what I want to do with my photosets, when I can talk some pal of mine into donning vintage clothing and posing in public, is to show off the beauty of my area, my favorite spots, and the local businesses. Here are a few of my favorite shots of my friend and model in the streets of my current hometown.

This funky little gate is just around the corner from The Practice pad, a great little music shop that offers a variety of instruments and music lessons.

Our initial destination for the shoot was down the street from this area, just outside of a local salon Hair Brains, but I had to stop and get a picture of Megan next to this quirky little tree.

I love that there are so many gorgeous little details on every street in my town. I love the trees, the cobblestone streets here and there, the old brick buildings, the fences – okay, I love most all of it. I hope you enjoy my Midwestern love affair as much as I do! I’ll try to share a little about each place that I take pictures so that you can enjoy Southern Illinois’ beauty.